Adjustable shelf support



Jan. 30, 1962 E. c. HUET ADJUSTABLE SHELF SUPPORT 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 24, 1959 INVENTOR. EDWARD C. HUET BY (9 ATTORNEYS 1962 E. c. HUET 3,018,900

ADJUSTABLE SHELF SUPPORT Filed July 24, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 {'r was INVENTOR. EDWARD C. HusT woaueys Jan. 30, 1962 E. c. HUET 3,013,900

ADJUSTABLE SHELF SUPPORT Filed July 24, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 F155- 1315.7. F165. F1119 84 j 92 7o 78 82 mmvron EDWARD C. HUET AT-rom aeys Jan. 30, .1962 E. c. HUET 3,018,900

ADJUSTABLE SHELF SUPPORT Filed July 24, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Um I INVENTOR. EDWARD C. HUET ATTORNEYS Jan. 30, 1962 E. c. HUET 3,018,900

ADJUSTABLE SHELF SUPPORT Filecl July 2.4, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 214, g me i Lil I 4 13:: I72 H8 182 .ii H

INVENTOR. EDWARD C. HUET BY M (9% ATTOR N 5Y5 United States Patent 3,618,900 ADJUSTABLE SHELF SUPPORT Edward C. Huet, Coldwater, Mich., assignor 10.1.. A. Darling Company, :Bronson, Mich., a corporation of Delaware .FiledJulye24, 1959, Ser. IND-829,428 .17 Claims. ((31. 211-148) 'This invention relates'to an improved supporting structurefforshelves or'the like,and'more particularly to an adjustable. shelf-supporting bracket and upright member for supportingimerchandise display shelves.

.Many types of shelf supports including brackets and upright l'supporting members are known in the art. So far as isknowmthesebrackets and' supportin'gmembers rely on various combinations of cooperating flanges or hooks, and slots or openings by means of which the brackets can be placed inany of a number of positions with respect to the upright supporting members. These cooperating hooks, etc. and'openings also bear the entire Weight of the brackets, shelves, and load thereon with the. result that thehooks, etc. or slots or openings sometimes break when the shelves'are heavily loaded or when they receive'an impact from some external source.

The present invention'provides an improved shelf-supporting bracket and an improved upright supporting membe'rby'means of which the'weight of a loadon a shelf is borne directly by the upright-supporting member which prevents breakage unless the strength of the main portion of the bracket or of the supporting member is exceeded. The new shelf support is one which can be easily adjusted to any of many positions. It is also inexpensive tomanufacture.

It is, therefore, a principal object of the invention to provide an improved shelf-supporting bracket and supporting member for display shelves or the like.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved shelf support thatwill Withstand heavy loads and impacts.

A further object of the invention is 'to provide a stronger shelf support which is inexpensive to manufacture and is easily adjustable.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof, reference being made to the accompanying drawing, in' which:

FIG. l is aview inperspective, with parts broken away and with parts in cross 'section, of a display shelf unit including 'two shelves supported on brackets and upright supporting members embodying thev principles of "the invention;

FIG. 5 is a'view in cross section taken along the line "5-5 "of FIG. 2;

FIGS. 6- 9 are views in horizontal cross section of modified upright supportingmembers accordingto the invention;

FIG. .lOisaffragmentary viewin perspective of a (modified-shelflsupporting bracket and supporting member embodying the principles. of the invention;

:FIG. 11 .is-a fragmentary view'in perspective, with .;parts i broken away, of another. modifiedlshelf-supporting bracket and upright supportingmember;

FIG; 12 isra fragmentary viewinhorizontal crosssec- .tionshowingportionsof fourmodifie'd brackets :and a Z modified upright 2 supporting member according to "the invention;

FIG. 13 is a fragmentary view in elevation of a'portion of one of the brackets and of'the'upright supporting member shown'in FIG. 12;

FIG. 14 is a view in perspective of a modified display shelf unit according to the invention;

FIG. 15 is an enlarged, fragmentary-viewinperspective of a basemember of the displayunit shown in FIG. 14;

FIG. 16 is anenlarged,'fragrnentaryview in perspective of a leveling lug used withthe base member shown in FIG. 15;

FIG. 17 is a fragmentary'view in-perspective 'of-a partition which is apart of the display unit of FIG. 14; and

'FIG. 18-is a'fragmentary perspective view'o'f --a clip which can be used to anchoran upright toa wallcr the like.

Referring to the drawingsyandrnore particularly to FIG. 1, a display'shelf unit, indicated generally by the numeral 20, includes wall panels 22, upright-supporting members 24, and shelf-supporting brackets 26. The upright members and the'brackets are preferably'madeof metal stock but can be of other suitable materials. Shelves 28 are supported on the brackets 26. Suitable means maybe used to prevent forward displacement'of the shelves, as for example a' longitudinallyextending ridge '36 on each of the shelves 28 which fits into notches 32 in the brackets '26. The ridge 3i) canbe placedin any of the aligned notches 32 to place the shelf 28 in any of several positions 'withrespect to-thepanel 'sections 22, yet maintain the rear edge of the shelf 28 parallel to the face of thepanel.

Referring to FIGS. 2-5, one of the brackets 26 and one of the associated upright supporting members 24 are shown inmore detail. The bracket 26 includes a shelf-contacting arm 34, and an 'L-shaped part 36 integral therewith at the rear thereof and including a bearing leg 38 and a connecting'leg 40 which are'received in and cooperate with the upright supporting member 24 in amanner hereafter described.

The upright memberld-includes front bearing'walls '42, a'rear bearing wall 44, and connecting Webs 46which define a longitudinally extendingchannel. Outwardly extending .flanges 48 are provided on theupright 24, integral with the inner edges of the front Walls 42. When the shelf-supporting, arm 34 is loaded, an upperyfront corner SO-(FIG. 5) of the bearing legf3-8 bears against .A positioning member.;54 maintains the bracket26v in proper relationship with the supporting mernber'2'4 but does not usually carry any 'substantialPart of the load placed on the bracket '26. The positioningmember 54 includes a U-shaped piece'orhorizontalportion 56 with flanges '58 extending outwardly therefrom and with a finger or tangfii) (FIGS. 2 and'3) extendingupwar'dly adjacent a rear portionof the bracket arm 34 to prevent lateral movement of the'b'racket 26'or pivotal movement thereof'which can otherwise occur if theb'racket arm 34 or the shelf 28 which it supports is deflected laterally, for example. Thus, .the positioning member 54 :only

.serves tomaintain the bracket 26..in;proper relationship with respect to the upright supporting member-24 and .to maintain the wedg'ingaction provided ;by'the corners "50 and .52 of .the .bearingleg .38. The member.- 5.4518150 aids in maintaining the bracket 26 in proper vertical relationship when there is no load on it.

A second of the brackets 26, shown in dotted lines (FIG. 3), can be employed on the opposite side of the finger 60 to support an end of a shelf adjacent the shelf 28.

The positioning member 54 is afiixed to the member 24 by a clamping plate 62 connected to the U-shaped piece 56 by a screw 64. When the screw 64 is tightened, the clamping plate 62 bears against the front walls 42 and the flanges 58 bear against the outer edges of the flanges 48 to maintain the positioning member 54 at a desired place on the upright supporting member 24. The positioning member 54 can thus position the bracket or brackets 20 at any of an infinite number of positions along the upright supporting member 24. Opposed exterior angles formed by the flanges 48 and the walls 42 also receive and partially support adjacent edges of the panels 22.

The upright supporting member 24 can be of any of a variety of shapes as long as it provides two opposed vertical bearing surfaces for coaction with the corners 50, 52 of the leg 38 of the bracket, and a connecting web. A number of variations in the shape of the upright supporting member 24 are shown in FIGS. 6-9.

FIG. 6 shows a modified upright supporting member 66 similar to the member 24, including the front and rear walls 42 and 44, the connecting web 46, and the flanges 48. However, the modified supporting member 66 also includes a pair of outwardly extending flanges 68 which, with the flanges 48 and the front walls 42, form recesses to receive the vertical edges of wall panels, such as the wall panels 22 of FIG. 1.

Another modified upright supporting member 70 is shown in FIG. 7. This member includes front bearing walls 72 which are actually part of inwardly extending flanges 74 connected to a back bearing wall 76 through flanges 78 and a connecting web 80.

An additional form of upright supporting member 82 is shown in FIG. 8, which includes front bearing walls 84, a rear bearing wall 86, and diagonal connecting webs 88.

In FIG. 9, a modified upright supporting member 90 is shown which includes a front bearing wall 92, a rear bearing wall 94, and diagonal connecting webs 96 which converge from the rear wall 94 rather than diverge, as is true of the diagonal connecting webs 88 of the supporting member 82 of FIG. 8. For the latter two supporting members 82 and 90, a positioning member would be somewhat similar to the member 54 but a flat plate would be substituted for the U-shaped piece 56, which plate would bear against the front surfaces of the front walls 84 and 92. The clamping plate 62 would bear against the rear surfaces of the front walls 84 and 92 in the usual manner.

A modification of the invention is shown in FIG. 10, including a modified upright supporting member 97 and a cooperating bracket 98. The bracket 98 includes a bracket arm 99 and an L-shaped part 100, including a bearing leg 102 and a connecting leg 104, which is integral with the rear portion of the arm 99. The supporting member 97 includes a front bearing wall 106, a rear bearing wall 108, and a connecting web 110. L-shaped flanges 112 and 114 extend outwardly from the bearing walls 106 and 108 to form recesses therewith into which the edges of one or more of the panels 22 are inserted. This form of upright member is particularly adapted to receive the edges of end panels of a series forming a wall, in order to form a more attractive end for the wall. When a load is applied to the arm 99, an upper front corner 116 of the bearing leg 102 bears against the front wall 106 and a lower, rear corner 118 of the leg 102 bears against the rear wall 108. This again provides a wedging action which prevents downward movement of the bracket 98 and thereby supports the load on the arm 99.

The bracket 98 and the upright supporting member 97 also have suitable positioning means to adjust the position of the bracket 98 on the member 97 and to maintain the bracket 98 in engagement with the member 97. As shown, this positioning means includes one or more openings 120 in the bearing leg 102 which are inserted over tangs 122 struck from the connecting web 110. The tangs 122 extend out from the web 110 a distance slightly greater than the thickness of the bearing leg 102, to enable the tangs 122 to fit around a portion of the bearing leg 102. Horizontal portions 124 of the tangs-122 do not support any substantial portion of the load placed on the arms 99 but assist the tangs 122 in preventing pivotal or lateral movement of the legs 102 and 104 which would destroy the wedging action of the corners 116 and 118. The horizontal portions 124 and the tangs 122 thus constitute positioning members which maintain the bracket 98 in engaged relationship with the supporting member 97 and prevent downward sliding movement of the former relative to the latter.

FIG. 11 shows in detail an intermediate upright supporting member 128 and a modified bracket 130. The bracket 130 is similar to the bracket 98, including the legs 102 and 104, the openings 120, and the arm 99. The upright supporting member 128 is similar to the upright supporting member 24 of FIGS. 2-5, including the front and rear walls 42 and 44, the connecting web 46, and the flanges 48. In addition, tangs 132 and horizontal connecting elements 134 are struck from the connecting web 46. The tangs 132 and elements 134 operate in the same way and serve the same function as the tangs 122; that is, the horizontal parts 134 act primarily only to space the tangs 132 from the web 46 to enable proper coaction with the leg 102 to prevent lateral or swinging movements thereof.

FIGS. 12 and 13 show additional modifications of the invention including an upright supporting member 136 and fragmentary portions of four shelf-supporting brackets 138 and 139. Each of the brackets 138, 139 includes a shelf-supporting arm 140 and a generally L-shaped part 142 including a bearing leg 144 and a connecting leg 146. The upright supporting member 136 includes intermediate bearing walls 148 and a single back bearing wall 150 which is connected to the intermediate bearing walls 148 by means of inner connecting webs 152. The supporting member 136 also includes front bearing walls 154 and outer connecting walls 156. When a load is applied to any of the arms 140, an upper front corner 158 of the bearing leg 144 bears against the intermediate bearing wall 148 or the front bearing wall 154 and a lower, rear corner 160 of the bearing leg 152 bears against the rear bearing leg 150 or the intermediate bearing wall 148 to provide a wedging action to support the load directly through the upright member 136.

The brackets 138, 139 are maintained in proper relationship with respect to the upright member 136 by tangs 162 and connecting horizontal elements 164 extending from the connecting webs 152 through openings 166 in the bearing legs 144, which form positioning members for the brackets. Three of the openings 166 are provided so that two of the tangs 162 can extend through the top and the bottom openings 166, as shown, or through the intermediate opening 166 and around a bottom edge 168 of the bracket 138 or 139. This arrangement enables the brackets 138, 139 to be placed in either of two positions with respect to the upright supporting member 136 for a single pair of the tangs 162. In other words, twice as many positions are available for a given number of the tangs 162 spaced along the webs 152. A number of back tangs 170 are located on the opposite sides of the webs 152 at positions intermediate at least some of the tangs 162, which back tangs serve a purpose to be discussed subsequently. The effective lengths of the shelf support .ing arms 140 of thebrackets 138 and'lw are different because of the difference in engaging positions. Ordinarily, .to compensatefor this, the brackets 138 have longer arms 140 for agiven nominal size than do the brackets 139.

The brackets138and 139 and the upright supporting .member 1360f FIGS. 12 and 13 are effective for use in a display unit indicated generally at 172 in FIG. 14. The

display unitv 172 includes two modular sections 174 and '176-having bases '178, three of the supporting members 13 6, the brackets 138 and 139 (the latter not visible) and @modified, the sloping brackets 180 which support modular shelves 182.

In the embodiment shown, two of the shelves 182 associated with the section 176 are sloping and the lowest of the three shelves 182 of this section :ispositioned slightly lower than the adjacent shelf 182 associated with the section 174. Each of the sections 174 and 176 is of a given length, such as three or four feet, and can be the same or different, with as many used as. is necessary, and of selectedlengths to produce a display unit of a desired length.

The upright supporting members 136 are supported in a vertical position with the aid of lateral base members 184 shown in detail in FIG. 15. Each of the base members 184 is engaged rigidly with one of the supporting members 136 by means of an L-shaped part 186 cooperating with the connecting web 152 and the bearing walls 146'and .150 of the upright member 136 in a manner similar to that ofthe L-shaped parts 142 of the brackets 138,but with the tangs 162 inverted.

'flange 192. When the lateral base members 184 are engaged with thesupporting member 136, the lugs 18% are moved in or out as required to aid in positioning the member 136 vertically. The lugs 188 can be quickly adjusted and are'strong enough to support very heavy loads on the unit 172.

The upright member 136 is also maintained vertically with the aid of longitudinally extending partition panels 198 and 200, each of which has flanges 202- extending outwardly therefrom inopposite directions from vertical edges thereof. The flanges 202 have openings 2%4 which fit over the back tangs 170 to attach the panels 198 and Zildto'the members 136. Because the flanges 202 extend in opposite directions from the vertical edges of the panels 198 and 269, the flanges 292 of adjacent panels do not interfere with one another. A lower edge 206 of the upper panel 1% is of J-shape configuration and an upper edge 268 of the lower panel 2% is of inverted J shape configuration so that these two edges can interlock with'one another whenattached to the supporting members 136. By using the two panels 198 and 296 instead of asingle panel, a .few panels similar to the "panels 19'8 and 200 can be made in various widths to fabricate display units of extensive variations in height.

Afterthe lateral base members 184 and the partition panels 198 and 200 are assembled with the upright supporting members 136, longitudinal base members 210 (FIG. 14) are attached tothe outer ends ofthelateral base members 184. End base covers 212 (FIG. 14) and upright supporting member covers 213 then slide or snap on the lateral base members 184 and the 'end upright supporting members 136. A lower shelf 214 is then suitably attached to the upper edges of the lateral and longitudinal base .members 184 and 210. The brackets '1'38,'1'39and 180 are then engaged in the upright-supporting members 13 6 in desired'positions. "The brackets 138 support the left'ends "(as viewed in' FIG. 14) .of the 6 shelves-1820mm 'section17'4 and the brackets 13'9 su port the right 'endsof 'thesame shelves. The-brackets 18G"a'nd'138 support the left endsof the shelves 182- of the section 176 "and sloping brackets fsi milar to the brackets 180 and one'of'the brackets 139sup'port-the right ends of these shelves.

Inmany instances,"it is desirable to provide thesections 174 and 176 with their own lighting, rather'thanto depend on more remote sources of lighting in a store. For this purpose, the outer upright'supporting'members 136 extend some distance'above the top shelves 182 to enable them to receive lighting brackets 216 which engage the supporting'members 136 in the same manner as the brackets 138 and 139. A lighting fixture 21S receiving fluorescent tubes or incandescent lamps is suitably affixed to the outer ends of the brackets 216 with a male plug 219 built into one end and a female outlet (not shown) built into the other end. If two more of the sections 174 and176 are now added to the present two, the male plug 219 of the fixture 218 will be inserted in the female outlet in an'adjacent end of the next fixture and the male plug 219 at one end of the series of fixtures will be connected by an extension cord to a wall outlet to complete a circuit through allof the fixtures. It is to be understood that one of the fixtures 218 can be provided for each of the sections 174 and 176 rather than one for every tWo sections.

A sign 221} is shown in FIG. 14 removably attached to the tangs 1.62 of the center upright supporting member 136 to indicate prices or the general nature of the merchandise displayed on the shelves 182 therebelow.

The display unit 172'is very sturdy. It is also lightweight and easy to assemble without tools. The unit 172 in actual tests was capable of supporting 3000 pounds on one side of the partition panels 198 and 211i with'no load on the other side, and also 3000 pounds on each side of these panels. In neither case, however, was the unit tested to destruction. Further, the modular construction enables display units of unlimited lengths, in increments of three, four or the like feet, and substantially unlimited heights, to be fabricated with the use of only a few stock parts. For example, using only three and four foot modules, units three, four and six feet long can be made, or longer by one foot increments.

In some instances, it will be desired to have the shelves 82 on only one side of the supporting members 136 with the members 136 placed adjacent a wall. Thelateral and longitudinal base members 184 and .211) and the lower shelf 214 also would be used only on one side of the members 136 and the partitionpanels 198 and 261) also could be dispensed with,.if desired. The members 136 then can be aflixed directly to the wall by means of a clip or wall bracket 222 (FIG. 18) including an L-shaped wall-contacting arm 224 having holes through which screws 226 or other suitable fasteners can be driven into the wall, after the bracket 222 is engaged with one of the upright supporting members 136 by an L-shaped part 228. The part 228 includes a bearing leg 230 and a connecting leg 232, With'the bearing leg 23% engaging the supporting member 136 in the same manner as the bearing leg 144 of the bracket 138 or 139 (FIGS. 12 and 13). However, the leg-230-has only two tipgmngs 234 to receive the tangs 162 of the member It is also worthy of note that the bearing walls 148, and 154 of the upright supporting member 136 converge from their respective connecting webs 152 and 156, each being at an angle of approximately 15 to a line perpendicular to the connecting webs. The connecting leg 146 ofthe bracket 138 'or139 forms a similar angle with respect to a line perpendicular to the bearing leg 144. With this arrangement, when a loadsis applied to the arm 14u-and' the corners 15S and .160 of the legs 144 bear-against the walls 148, 150 or 148, 154, theyurge .the leg 1'44 toward the connecting web- 152 or 156 arid increase the lateral stability of the bracket 138 or 139. However, there is suflicient clearance between the vertical edges of the bearing leg 144 and the respective bearing walls to enable the bracket 138 or 139 to be pivoted or swung laterally outwardly from the supporting member 136, when there is no load on the arm 146, without the necessity of sliding the bracket 138 or 139 upwardly past the upper end of the upright member 136.

It is particularly advantageous to have the connecting leg 146 substantially perpendicular to the bearing leg 144. In this instance, an upper portion of the connecting leg will bear against its respective bearing wall adjacent the base of the arm 14-0 to enable the load on the arm 140 to be borne by the member 136 closer to the arm. The bracket 138 or 139 can then be easily pivoted outwardly from the member 136, using the rear vertical edge of the bearing leg 144 as a pivot line.

Additional modifications of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art and it is to be understood that such modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A supporting structure comprising, in combination, a longitudinally extending upright supporting member having opposed walls and a connecting web, a bracket having a generally L-shaped part engaged with said upright member and extending longitudinally thereof, with at least a lower portion of said L-shaped part bearing against a portion of one of the walls of said member and with at least an upper portion of said L-shaped part bearing against a portion of the opposed one of said walls to support at least a substantial portion of a load on said bracket directly through said upright, and a positioning member having a portion spaced from said web and from said lower portion of said L-shaped part associated with said supporting member effective to maintain said bracket in said engaged relationship with said supporting member.

2. A supporting structure comprising, in combination, a longitudinally extending upright supporting member having opposed walls and a connecting web, a bracket having a bearing leg and a connecting leg engaged with said member and extending longitudinally thereof, said bearing leg lying in a plane substantially perpendicular to said opposed walls, with at least a lower portion of said bearing leg bearing against a portion of one of the walls of said member, and with at least an upper portion of the bearing leg bearing against a portion of the opposed one of said walls to support at least a substantial portion of a load on said bracket directly through said upright, and a positioning member associated with said supporting member and having a portion parallel to said connecting web of said supporting member and spaced therefrom to engage a portion of said bracket to prevent lateral movement thereof.

3. A supporting structure comprising, in combination, a longitudinally extending upright supporting member having opposed walls and a connecting web, a bracket having a bearing leg and a connecting leg engaged with said member and extending longitudinally thereof, said bearing leg lying in a plane substantially perpendicular to said opposed walls, with at least an upper portion of one of said legs bearing against a portion of one of said walls, and with at least a lower portion of said bearing leg bearing against a portion of the other of said walls of said member when a load is applied to said bracket to prevent downward movement thereof, and a positioning member associated with said supporting member and having a portion parallel to said connecting web and spaced therefrom for engaging a portion of said bracket to maintain said bracket in said engaged relationship with said member.

4. A supporting structure comprising, in combination, a longitudinally extending upright supporting member having opposed front and rear walls and a connecting web, a bracket having a bearing leg and a connecting leg engaged with said upright member and extending longitudinally thereof, with at least a lower corner of said bearing leg bearing against a portion of one of said front and rear walls of said member, and with at least an upper corner of said bearing leg bearing against a por tion of the other of said front and rear walls, and a positioning member associated with said supporting member and having a tang with a portion parallel to said connecting web and spaced therefrom to engage a portion of said bracket to maintain said bracket in engaged relationship, said positioning member also having a horizontal portion to engage a portion of said bracket to prevent sliding longitudinal movement in at least one direction with respect to said supporting member.

5. A supporting structure comprising, in combination, a longitudinally extending upright supporting member having opposed front and rear walls and a connecting web, a bracket having a shelf-supporting arm, a bearing leg, and a connecting leg at the rear of said shelf supporting arm, said bearing leg being engaged with said upright member and extending longitudinally thereof, with at least a corner portion of said bearing leg bearing against a portion of one of said front and rear walls of said member and with at least an upper corner Portion of one of said legs bearing against a portion of the other of said front and rear walls, and a positioning member associated with said supporting member and having a tang with a portion parallel to said connecting web and spaced therefrom to engage a portion of said bracket and to prevent lateral movement of said bracket, said positioning member having a horizontal portion engaging a portion of said bracket to prevent sliding movement thereof in at least one direction with respect to said supporting member.

6. A supporting structure according to claim 5 wherein said shelf-supporting arm slopes outwardly and downwardly from a point of engagement of said bearing leg and said upright member.

7. A supporting structure according to claim 5 and means on said upright member to engage a partition panel adapted to extend between two of said upright members.

8. A supporting structure according to claim 5 and a base member having an L-shaped part engaging said supporting member and extending horizontally outwardly therefrom to aid in positioning said supporting member vertically.

9. A supporting structure according to claim 8, said base member having a slot at an angle to the horizontal, and a leveling lug including a portion extending through said slot whereby said lug moves in and out with respect to said base member as said leg rides along said slot.

10. A supporting structure comprising, in combination, a longitudinally extending upright supporting member having two substantially parallel front walls, two substantially parallel intermediate walls, and a single rear wall, two inner webs connecting said rear wall to said intermediate walls, two outer webs connecting said intermediate walls to said front walls, two first brackets having first bearing legs and first connecting legs, each of said bearing legs being engaged with said upright member between one of said intermediate walls and said rear wall, two second brackets having second bearing legs and second connecting legs, each of said second bearing legs being engaged with said upright member between one of said intermediate walls and one of said front walls, and means associated with said member effective to prevent lateral movement of said bracket.

11. A supporting structure comprising, in combination, a longitudinally extending upright support having at least three spaced, substantially parallel walls, and a web structurally integral with corresponding edges of each adjacent pair of said walls, and forming therewith a channel extending longitudinally of said support, at least one bracket having a wedging member seated in a channel of said support and effective to wedge against said walls of the channel to prevent rotation relative to said support of said bracket upon application of a load to the latter, and means associated with said member effective to prevent lateral movement of said wedging member out of seated relationship with the channel.

12. A supporting structure comprising, in combination, a longitudinally extending upright support having at least three spaced, substantially parallel walls, and a web structurally integral with corresponding edges of each adjacent pair of said walls, and forming therewith a channel extending longitudinally of said support, at least one bracket having a wedging member seated in a channel of said support and effective to wedge against said walls of the channel to prevent rotation relative to said support of said bracket upon application of a load to the latter, and means associated with said member effective to prevent both lateral movement of said wedging member out of seated relationship with the channel and sliding longitudinal movement thereof in at least one direction within the channel.

13. A supporting structure comprising, in combination, a longitudinally extending upright support having at least three spaced, substantially parallel walls, and a web structurally integral wit-h corresponding edges of each adjacent pair of said walls, and forming therewith a channel extending longitudinally of said support, two of said webs being structurally integral with opposite edges of one of said walls, at least one bracket having a wedging member seated in a channel of said support and effective to Wedge against said walls of the channel to prevent rotation relative to said support of said bracket upon application of a load to the latter, and means associated with said member effective to prevent both lateral movement of said wedging member out of seated relationship with the channel and sliding longitudinal movement thereof in at least one direction Within the channel.

14. A supporting structure comprising, in combination, a longitudinally extending upright support having at least three spaced, substantially parallel walls, and a web structurally integral with corresponding edges of each adjacent pair of said walls, and forming therewith a channel extending longitudinally of said support, two of said webs being structurally integral with opposite edges of one of said walls, and one of said two webs being structurally integral with an exterior one of said walls, at least one bracket having a wedging member seated in a channel of said support and effective to wedge against said walls of the channel to prevent rotation relative to said support of said bracket upon application of a load to the latter, and means associated with said member effective to prevent both lateral movement of said wedging member out of seated relationship with the channel and sliding longitudinal movement thereof in at least one direction within the channel.

15. A supporting structure comprising, in combination, a longitudinally extending upright support member having at least five spaced, substantially parallel walls, and a web structurally integral with corresponding edges of each adjacent pair of said walls, and forming theresaid first two webs being structurally integral with a first exterior one of said walls, a second two of said webs being structurally integral with opposite edges of a second one of said walls, and one of said second two webs being structurally integral with a second exterior one of said walls, at least one bracket having a wedging member seated in a channel of said support and effective to wedge against said walls of the channel to prevent rotation relative to said support of said bracket upon application of a load to the latter, and means associated with said support member effective to prevent both lateral movement of said wedging member out of seated relationship with the channel and sliding longitudinal movement thereof in at least one direction within the channel.

16. A longitudinally extending upright support member for receiving a bracket having a wedging member, said support member having at least five spaced, substantially parallel walls, and a web structurally integral with corresponding edges of each adjacent pair of said walls, and forming therewith a channel extending longitudinally of said support, a first two of said webs being structurally integral with opposite edges of a first one of said walls, and one of said first two webs being structurally integral with a first exterior one of said walls, a second two of said webs being structurally integral with opposite edges of a second one of said walls, and one of said second two webs being structurally integral with a second exterior one of said walls, and means associated with said support member effective to prevent both lateral movement of the wedging member of the associated bracket out of seated relationship with the channel and sliding longitudinal movement thereof in at least one direction within the channel.

17. A supporting structure comprising in combination, a longitudinally extending upright supporting member having opposed walls and a connecting web, a bracket having a generally L-shaped part engaged with said upright member and extending longitudinally thereof, with at least a lower portion of said L-shaped part bearing with a channel extending longitudinally of said support,

a first two of said webs being structurally integral with opposite edges of a first one of said walls, and one of against a portion of one of the walls of said member and with at least an upper portion of said L-shaped part bearing against a portion of the opposed one of said walls to support at least a substantial portion of a load on said bracket directly through said supporting member, a positioning member associated with said supporting member effective to maintain said bracket in said engaged relationship with said supporting member, and means for releasably afiixing said positioning member at any longitudinal position relative to said supporting member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 565,274 Hurrel Aug. 4, 1896 2,700,476 Maintain Jan. 25, 1955 2,727,711 Bally Dec. 20, 1955 2,744,714 Parke May 8, 1956 2,787,382 Williams Apr. 2, 1957 2,891,678 Levy June 23, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 54,286 Austria July 10, 1912 377,770 Great Britain Aug. 4, 1932 

